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Apocalypse (Campaign)
Arsinos lives under the shadow of four warlords. Following their rise to power in Outland, the notoriously powerful super-villain team known as the Four Horsemen began showing their true strength when they reduced an entire world to a desolate wasteland in a small number of days. Slaves were taken, innocents were slaughtered and wars were raged, but the Horsemen remained undefeated. Time is running out for Arsinos - the clock is ticking, and soon the Horsemen will launch their final invasion upon the world, and render it as dead and barren as Outland. Each Horseman has their own plans, their own schemes and their own powers; individually, they threaten to cast down ropes that will choke the world. As a team, they will strangle the world of life. One hope remains; the Outlaws, the legendary criminals regarded as myths and vagabonds by the nations of the world, are ironically the world's best chance of unwrapping the secret behind the Horsemen's weaknesses. Their origins and powers remain a mystery, but their final battle will test everything they have experienced. In order to avoid an inevitable and bleak future, sacrafices must be made to disarm the mad God, the misguided soldier, the sharpest mind and the power-hungry warlord. ('Apocalypse' is the final chapter in the Arsinos 'character' storyline. After this, no more additionally plots will be written or acted out until the map is changed.) Prelude With what began as a battle for control of Northren, the ultimately madened Cayden Masher showed his true colours when he turned to murder and chaos as a release for his pent up rage and frustration. Using the Black Flu as a power booster, he sucessfully ressurected the fully powered spirit of Ruaumoko, the World Breaker, and (using Moriarty's influence over the UN) built a Gate in Outland that brought the Steel Tide to the north, along with the Machine God. What followed was a cataclysmic crusade against Outland by the Four Horsemen, with their Steel Tide behind them, which ended in the total destruction of Outland. Millions died, others were enslaved, and the Horsemen took total control of Outland and, with the exception of a small resistance group, became overlords of the small world and began building an army to rival its current force, which it would need when it eventually stormed Arsinos. There were two silver linings, however. Word had it that Solomon Masher, assumed dead, had survived the encounter with his son and was leading Outland Resistance forces against the Four Horsemen, freeing slaves and generally doing his best to help those who'd survived the apocalypse there. Secondly, the Northrend Expedition had provided Arsinos with at least one glimmer of a hope... a device, the God Cracker, had been discovered, and was currently under construction in Kaneland. There was hope that, should this device destroy Ruaumoko as intended, it would give Arsinos a strong fighting chance... 'Blackstar' It began with the hunt for Moriarty's footprints. During this time, more and more news from Outland reached the group. The Horsemen, it seemed, were not the perfect team they were believed to be. Ruaumoko desired an all natural world, by destroying technology and all those involved with it. The slaughter of well over 80% of Arsinos' population, to him, would bring about a new primitive age of peace. The Machine God, on the other hand, desired utter control. The world would live, but under his oppressive image. Both gods, as they claimed to be, could not share their vision. They grew apart. They began to plot against one another. Only one god could claim Arsinos for their own. Moriarty took the side of Monty, whilst Cayden took the side of Ruaumoko. Solomon Masher revealed that both gods had a grand 'plan' by which to usurp the other. Whilst Cayden and Moriarty focused on destroying Masher's resistance, Ruaumoko's plan was revealed - he had selected an heir, whom Cayden boastfully revealled to be himself. What good would this do Ruaumoko? It was difficult to say at the time. Monty's plan, meanwhile, was revealed to be the invention of Lifeblood, his own nanotechnology by which he could spread his physical influence across the world as well as his mere presence. Regardless, whilst the two gods bickered behind their backs, Moriarty and Cayden united to plant a flag in Arsinos. Both travelled from Outland and set about explosive plots to bring down AAC and Amun-Seth, which would essentially break the Dark Crusader's alliance and leave the world short one super-power, possibly even srtting nations against one another in preparation for the Horsemen's arrival. Everything the two of them did was simply to break Arsinos' defence for the inevitable invasion. The Battle of Farpoint Following the destruction of most of AAC by Moriarty, and Cayden's turn against the other Four Horsemen, the Outlaws united with Solomon Masher at Tophat Island, and there planned an assault on Farpoint, to reclaim the God-Crack and put Ruaumoko down. The attack would've gone well, were it not for Cayden's interference (who wanted the device for himself). At Farpoint, the captured Serenity Vine was found linked to the device, her powers having activated it. Ruaumoko arrived at the battle just as Cayden shot Serenity in the head, killing her. The device was, however, activated, hitting Ruaumoko and the Outlaws in the blast. Instead of killing Ruaumoko, however, the true purpose of the device was simply to 'remove' him - by throwing him roughly sixty years into the future. In this future, a much older Cayden explained that in this timeline, without the Outlaws, the Machine God sucessfully dominated Arsinos following Ruaumoko's disappearance, and Cayden leads the only remains of humanity in a ressistance movement. Cayden also explained that the 'real' Solomon Masher died long ago, even before the battle of the Steel Tower - the group, in fact, had never met him. The person they knew was actually the Alpha AI Solomon had created, and AI that the Machine God came from. Armed with this knowledge, the Outlaws eventually find a way to return to their present time, taking Ruaumoko with them. They arrive in Outland, shortly after discovering that Solomon Masher has been captured by the Machine God - they are too late. They help organise the remains of the resistance, essentially taking command. An uneasy truce is formed between them and Cayden - although Cayden wants to kill Ruaumoko outright, the Outlaws wish to keep him alive, believing his mind can be saved. The War for Outland In the desolate wasteland of Outland, the Outlaws fought battle after battle against the Machine God and his army. Through the chaos, a number of critical events took place - Moriarty was finally killed, Cayden was revealed to be slightly 'less' of a maniac that believed and Max Amaru was rescued from captivity. Beleiving the Orb may be the key to either killing or freeing Ruaumoko, the Outlaws knew they needed it - but it was being held by the Machine God. In addition, they knew Cayden would try and get it first - Cayden, believing himself to be Ruaumoko's heir, knew that only he could touch it, placing the Outlaws at an advantage. The Outlaws were eventually able to claim the Alpha AI from Violet Bloodstone's 'safekeeping', killing her in the process. The war eventually reached a climax in Shadowmoor Valley, with a huge defence mounted by the resistance against the Steel Tide. The Machine God himself confronted the Outlaws, but was defeated after a close battle. In that moment, Cayden activated a trap that left the Outlaws powerless. However, when he tries to pick up the Orb, it rejects him - at which point Felix stabs him in the back, revealing himself to be a Black Angel and Ruaumoko's true heir - Felix exposes Cayden to Whiro's power using the Orb, apparently killing him. Felix takes the Orb and leaves for Arsinos - with the Machine God defeated, he's free to summon Whiro to Arsinos. After recovering from Cayden's trap, the Outlaws follow. They find Felix at Ptomley's Gate, where everything started. Felix sucessfully summons Whiro and retreats into the Warp - the Outlaws are forced to fight Whiro. They somehow activate an ancient Custodian ability and merge into one Avatar, a dragon like creature, and manage to overcome Whiro's own avatar, sending him back into the Warp. Victorious, the Outlaws find Ruaumoko has been restored to sanity. After recovering, they decide to continue fighting and Ruaumoko prepares to send them off to Barvos, secure in the knowledge that Arsinos is now safe. Side Missions * The Outlaws escape from Paramoria following the events of Blackstar. They get to Tophat Island, where Masher meets them and planning for the Battle of Farpoint takes place. * The King's Bunker - Morena, Jack and Doc investigate one of Solomon Masher's old laboratories, where they find secrets relating to Cayden and Felix's super-super serum. * Steal That Jet! - Morena successfully steals a Sethian stealth jet from an abandoned airport on Tophat Island, narrowly avoiding death at the hands of a Cryptek - an ancient Tide creature. * The Battle of Farpoint - the Outlaws invade Farpoint. The battle involves Cayden, Ruaumoko and the Kanish Operative, Paddy. All end up getting sent to the future in what ends up being plot-twist central. * Enter the Devil - Morena, Anderson and Doc have their first encounter with Whiro's power when they stumble across a Marker and fight Necromorphs for the first time. * Hail to the King - Another brief trip through time enables Jack, Anderson and Morena to meet the 'real' Solomon Masher… along with the force that drove him insane. * Back to the Present! - The Outlaws are sent back to the present day, along with Ruaumoko, and arrive back in Outland (along with two of Cayden's future teenaged sons). There, they find the Resistance in a bad way and discover Solomon Masher left them in command of the entire army with his absence! Solomon Masher is kidnapped, and Monty is planning an assault on the Resistance gate. They must prepare! * The Battle of Shadowmoon's Hat '''- Jack, Morena and Anderson successfully repel a Tide army in a small battle between Monty and the Resistance. * '''Enemy of my Enemy - Morena encounters Cayden on a mission to acquire fuel for their jets. Cayden proposes a brief alliance up until Monty's defeat, offering Moriarty's location in exchange for Sethos' programme as a deal of trust. * The Husk of Deadwing Pass - An investigation into a abandoned science lab turns into a disaster when Monty infiltrates the base whilst Morena, Jack, Juana and Anderson are there. Monty releases the bases' research, a Marker, and the group are attacked by necromorphs. They narrowly escape with their lives. * The Scouring Of Hades - Anderson, Jack and Doc attempt to steal a neutron bomb from Machine God Cultists at a base in the former Lupaian city of Hades. They succeed, but Cayden turns up and takes it from them. * The Stompin' Titan '''- Jack and Anderson attempt to rescue a group of escaped slaves (including Cayden's future wife) from a town where Ruaumoko is loose. However, things go badly, and Cayden shoots his future wife himself. * '''The Watermaine Legacy - Morena and Jack sucessfully track down and kill Moriarty 'by accident'. They also locate Jack's daughter, but find her brainwashed. It'll take another Titan to free her. * Blueprints - Doc and a small force of Resistance soldiers under his command sucessfully steal blueprints for one of Monty's new bodies. * Riptide 2.0 - The Outlaws discover plans for a new Tide unit at the Gauss Chambers, but fail to prevent its deployment. * An Angel's Funeral - Following the death of Moriarty, Morena, Doc, Jack and Anderson encounter Drevonia for the first time, and attempt to stop her twisted ritual of claiming Moriarty's powers. * The Battle of Dustfire Valley - Paddy, Morena, Jack and Anderson sucessfully liberate a Tide airbase with help from Cayden and Felix's forces. * Dragonfire - Jack and Morena narrowly avoid being eaten by Ruaumoko in a mid-air battle, ending with them luring the dragon to a Tide base where he proceeded to wreck havoc. * Her Last Vow '- Anderson, Jack, Morena, Juana and Cayden track down and capture Violet Bloodstone to take the Alpha. Bloodstone begs them to side against Cayden in the war, but they ignore her, and Cayden shoots her. * '''Oh Brother of Mine '- Anderson investigates a suspected attack by Cayden on refugees. However, it turns out Felix is doing his brother's work. Anderson is asked to interrogate the refugees, but she insists on taking them back to base. An argument ensues and Felix cold-bloodedly murders the refugees. Tensions are high. * '''Legacy of the Four - Doc and Anderson successfully collapse a tunnel network created by Necromorphs, enlisting the help of Cayden. * The Curious Case of the Eagle's Nest - Jack and Morena are called to solve a murder case at a small resistance outpost, only to discover the staff are all Machine Cultists - and Max Amaru is their latest target for indoctrination. * Of Gods and Men - Jack, Morena, Anderson and Aiden launch an attack on the Steel Tide fuel depot, but the Machine God is expecting them and he's brought some new toys. * The Visit - Anderson, Jack and Morena locate a cache of railguns essential for taking out Goliaths, but aren't prepared for the Marker nearby. Whiro makes a personal appearance and makes an example of the Time Lads. * Cooke's Interrogation - '''Anderson and Morena figure it's time to make a decision about Cooke. * '''Hound - The infamous Monster of Cold Pass makes an appearance during a routine training exercise, and is captured by Jack, Anderson and Max. * Footsteps of the Gods - Jack, Morena and Anderson hunt a trapped Goliath, but discover much more than they bargained for when they find it hiding in an ancient Titan archive. * The Plaguelord's Gift - Jack, Morena and Anderson attempt to beat the Machine God to a game-changing superweapon and encounter the legacy of Calas Typhon. Category:Campaigns